New Leaf
by ApostolicJesusgirl
Summary: When Mayor Tortimer decides that his job is too much for him, he decides to leave town, letting his secretary deal with the repercussions. Could this spell disaster for the overworked puppy, or could it be a chance at a fresh start? Please make me aware of any spelling/grammar mistakes. Thank you. The rating was changed due to a brief part containing alcohol in chapter five.
1. Chapter 1

"Isabelle, where is that citizen satisfaction report I asked you for?"

"I-I have it right here, Mayor Tortimer. Just g-give me a seco-"

"I've given you enough time! Hurry yourself up, please."

". . .yes, sir."

The small yellow shih tzu hurriedly "organized" the papers with a few solid _tap tap taps _to the desk. She handed them to her boss, Mayor Tortimer, to look over.

"I don't have time to read all this! Just, uh, gimmi the basics of it, please."

"Y-yes, sir. It says here that the citizens feel the town is underdeveloped. They would like it if you would, well, maybe consider a few more public works projects. Um, also, the amount of trash in the ri-"

"Yeah, yeah. Save the fish, blah blah, yada yada. Anything else?"

She swallowed the knot in her throat. She had hoped he wouldn't ask. She fumbled with the papers and broke the not-so-savory news.

"W-well. . .uh, well, you see- i-it's an entirely fixable problem, mind you! It's just-"

"Spit it out, Isabelle!"

"R-right! Sorry. Um, your approval rating is down by forty-five percent."

She ducked quickly to avoid the stapler that went flying towards the wall. It made a loud _THUMP! _and fell satisfyingly to the floor. Tortimer knew throwing office supplies wouldn't solve anything, but it sure felt darn good, and that would have to do for now.

"Isabelle, I'm going to need you to clock in a few extra hours. I need a campaign speech that will get the citizens on my side again."

She sighed. "A few extra hours" meant that she would be working all night. Again. The life of a secretary wasn't an easy one, but she imagined that others didn't have it as hard as she did. Tortimer was a very dedicated mayor, albeit a bit on the oblivious side when it came to the needs and feelings of others. She looked up to him for his dedication . . .when her eyes could actually stay open long enough to look, that is. She was more often than not tasked with the mayoral duties that Tortimer couldn't or wouldn't do. He was an old man. His vision was waning and his hands were plagued with arthritis. Isabelle did most of his writing for him. Despite these things, however, she knew full-well that he wasn't putting in all the effort he could be. For instance, he could at least dictate to her what he wanted her to write for his speech. He could pay her a little extra for her lost time. He could give a simple "thank you" every now and again! Not much. Just something to let her know that she was appreciated.

"I'll start working right now, sir."

"Good. See that you do."

The morning sun lazily awoke from its night-long slumber. The fiery ball of various gases had gotten much more sleep than the secretary dog now struggling to keep her eyes open. She forced her hand to keep writing the last few words of her boss's speech. She had poured her heart into it, hoping that she might get a little feedback this time. It was unlikely, but a dog could dream, couldn't she?

_In closing, if you vote for me, I will work to clean the rivers and make the garbage less frequent. Remember, a vote for Tortimer is a vote for a better-_

"Isabelle!"

Her head snapped up in shock.

"Mayor? What's wrong?"

"Forget about that speech. I won't be needing it."

She could practically hear her mood crashing faster than a diver without a parachute. She gritted her teeth and did her best to hide her disappointment and frustration.

"Oh? Why is that, mayor?"

He was in a frenzy, a wide, excited grin on his face. He was cleaning off his desk, throwing his various knick-knacks into a box.

"Last night, I had a most spectacular dream. It was of an island I visited years ago. Warm sand, saline air, and the bluest, freshest water you've ever seen! It's never cold there. It's never cloudy or muggy. Best of all, not citizens whining about "broken campaign promises" or "fake charity scams" and the like. This job is exhausting, Isabelle. That's why I've decided to retire."

"_WHAT?!_"

Any trace of grogginess suddenly escaped Isabelle's body all at once. _You can't just up and leave!_

"Oh, but I can." Oops. Guess the part of her brain that distinguished thought from speech hadn't quite woken up yet.

"Don't you worry your airy little head one bit. I've already called in my replacement. He should be arriving on the five o' clock train tomorrow morning."

"T-tomorrow? Wait! Who will run the town until then?"

"I see no reason that you can't do that."

"B-but I had plans! I. . .I wanted to maybe just. . .walk on the beach a little bit."

"Nonsense! Your responsibility is to your job, understand? This town needs you, Isabelle. At least for the time being. Just inform the citizens that I've retired and handle any riots that may happen."

"Riots?"

"Oh, you know. political vacuum or something like that. No big deal."

_Just how valued do you think you are, mayor?_

"Oh, very." _Dadgummit! _

With a last sweep of his desk, the now ex-mayor made his way to the door. he cast one last glance back.

"Oh, and Isabelle?"

"Yes, mayor?"

"Don't screw this up."

With that, he closed the door behind him and didn't look back a second time. Isabelle sank into her chair, letting the weight of the morning's circumstances finally come full-force onto her shoulders.

_What now? _She placed a paw to her forehead and another lazily onto her cluttered desk. _What on Earth am I going to do now?_


	2. Chapter 2

It sucked being rejected by humans. Lee didn't understand this new practice his species had adopted—those who questioned the New Order were to be exiled, sent on a train to nowhere. Well, judging by the scenery passing by outside the windows, "nowhere" looked pretty darn good, which was another reason not to question it—his mother had taught him to never question a good thing. He hoped that this would be a good thing. Perhaps he would get to meet some of the other humans that had been sent on this very train, with this exact same cat questioning them about their destination. When the cat showed him a map, he lied and pointed to it. In reality, he had no idea where on Earth he was going, but it didn't matter. The outcome would be the same—a new life alone. He imagined his new life and used it to plan his next move. _First, I'll scope out the area. See if I can find food. If not, I may have to kill an animal. _He licked his lips. He hadn't eaten all day. He missed his old home's stuffed burgers. They were the stuff of legend. _Perhaps I can find a wild cow. . .if such a thing exists. _He barely heard the announcer speaking. He had arrived. The cat that had sat across from him and kept him company (curious company, but company nonetheless) wished him the best of luck. Lee sighed and held his head high in determination. He swore to himself that he wouldn't need it. Wherever nowhere was, it was his home now.

Isabelle rushed to the station as soon as she got the call. "H-he's here already?!" She had been given five minutes' warning to get the villagers together. _I'm not superman, you know! . . .mostly because I'm not a man. _She shook her head, the bell in her hair jingling cheerily. This was no time to be thinking up stupid jokes. This was a time to be working. Whoever this new mayor was, she _had _to make a good first impression. She felt as if it were practically programmed into her to respect and adore authority. She hoped that this new one would make it easier to do both. Someone respected, someone who knew exactly what they were doing. _It doesn't matter. _Her little, chubby feet carried her to the gate to welcome her new boss. _Whoever they are, I'll make this work. I'll be the best darn secretary they've ever had!_

If someone would have told Lee what awaited on the other side of that gate, he would have sworn they were smoking crack. Well, more crack than usual. A small crowd of animals had shouted a welcome at him, which was the last thing that had expected. Perhaps someone with a different train of thought would've questioned why someone had never mentioned that some animals could talk and walk on two legs, but the first thing _he _noticed was the cow in the crowd. And it was wearing a flame shirt, no less.

"Mayor! We're so happy you're finally here!"

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. I'm not your mayor!"

He swore the dog before him was about to have a heart attack.

"D-don't pretend you don't know! D-din't you hear the conductor announcing our town name?"

In fact, he hadn't. He had been too busy imagining a giant plate of burgers. . .which felt kind of awkward now that the flame-shirt guy was smiling welcomingly at him.

"I'm dead serious! There must be some mistake!"

The dog laughed nervously.

"Good one, mayor! You can't fool me. T-there's no mistake. All is as you said it would be. You said you'd be on this exact train on this exact time."

The only other person that had been on that train with him (minus the driver) was the cat that had questioned him. _Huh. He'd make a good mayor. _With those piercing red eyes, an obedience propaganda poster would be no trouble. "_Rover is watching you"_ it would say. He smirked. _No wonder she's nervous. _He supposed he would stop protesting. He wasn't sure if such a thing would really happen (the cat had seemed nice enough), but being the mayor was more than he could have ever hoped for. The dog looked relieved that he had stopped trying to correct her. _What now? _She must've read his expression, for she reached into her pocket and gave him a map, instructing him to head to town hall with her. He obliged.

"You are much younger than I though you'd be. Our old mayor was very set in his ways. A young face might be just what this town needs!" The dog chattered on and on, eventually telling him that he needed to be a resident and to make his way to Nook's Homes, whatever that was. _Heck, what do I have to lose? _With this thought, he headed out of town hall, leaving his new secretary alone with her thoughts and his paperwork.

_Who is he? _She wondered as she filled out several papers. She had known from his first denial that he wasn't the mayor that was scheduled to arrive. She hadn't had any contact with said mayor, either. There was just something about the poor fellow. Something that almost pleaded with her to give him a chance. He was young and more than likely inexperienced. Plus, he was another one of those strange creatures that she saw speeding past in the trains now and again. She herself had never met one, nor seen one up close, save for the occasional TV program she had once managed to schedule into her busy day. There was one thing she knew—they _never _visited this town. She had heard stories about them from Shrunk, who tried to keep his distance due to his allergies. They lived by very different rules. _Perhaps he broke them. _This couldn't be a good thing. A rule-breaker as mayor? Surely not! And yet, as she had watched him shift his weight nervously at her proclamations of his mayor-hood, it was as if there was a quiet voice whispering to her. _Give him a chance. _She had never been one to ignore this voice, and she wasn't about to start now.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Gah! For anyone who might care, I apologize for the late update. I was lazy, yes, but I also went to my mom's for Christmas. Also, this fic kinda struggled out of my hands. It decided that it didn't wanna be a one-shot or just two chapters. Let's see where this goes.**

_Ten thousand bells?!_

Lee left Nook's Homes with a heavy feeling. he knew owning a home was expensive, but ten-thousand bells?! He had never even heard of such a currency, much less used it. he was officially broke. He took out the few crumpled pieces of paper from his coat pocket. _I suppose I can burn these for warmth tonight. _The tanuki had been kind enough to set up a tent for him, which he supposed that he should get used to. With a loan like that, he would be there awhile. He had never been camping before, but he had been told stories about such a thing.

_They used to build fires outside of their tents to cook food and keep warm._

_How do you start a fire, grandpa?_

_Well, first you. . ._

"Gaah! Why can't I remember?!" He spoke aloud to no one. His brain must've decided that such a detail was unimportant and thrown it out. He shivered in the cold December air. _Maybe that secretary. . ._my _secretary. . .can loan me a blanket. _He didn't want to bother the poor girl, but he felt that he had no choice. He didn't want to die of hypothermia on his first night as mayor. Shivering, he made his way back to town hall.

The sight of her poor mayor shaking in the doorway was disheartening. He looked downright pathetic. _Poor guy. Must be hard not having fur to keep out the cold. _

"M-may I p-please h-have a b-blanket?" He chattered out the best he could. She quickly went to the storage room to find one. The closest thing to a blanket she could find was an old, dusty tarp. On the bright side, she stumped her toe on an old lantern. _Perfect!. . .sort of._

"Will these do?" She said as she held up the tarp and lantern for his inspection.

"I'll take what I can get. Thank you." he took both with shaky hands. He began to walk out, but Isabelle stopped him.

"Wait! I'll come with you!" He turned back and raised a questioning eyebrow. "Well, do you even remember where your house is? Plus, what if the lantern doesn't work? I'll need to take it back and fix it." _And you're just so much more pathetic than anyone here that i kinda feel obligated to help you. I mean, this isn't even that cold of a day! Consider me your big sister, 'cause that's what i feel like right now._

"Gee, thanks."

_Oh, come on!_

She followed him out the door, Lee saying nothing, since he didn't want to ask something stupid and seem even more "pathetic", and Isabelle just trying to keep her mouth, and head, quiet.

"It works!" Lee exclaimed happily. The small lantern gave off a soft light and, more importantly, a small amount of heat. "Thanks a million, um. . .what was your name again?"

"Isabelle, mayor."

"Right. Sorry."

"It's fine. You can just call me "secretary" if it's easier."

"Er, thanks. I'll just use your name.'

That made Isabelle perk up a bit. She had been thinking back to when she first worked for Tortimer. It had taken him a few weeks to learn her name. Even she had begun to forget. The first time he used her name instead of just "secretary", she hadn't responded right away. She hoped that the fact that this new mayor had forgotten at first wasn't a bad sign.

"Well, I won't bother you anymore. . .wait! Um, before I go, I almost forgot to tell you- the citizens would like to hold a ceremony in your honor. Do you think you can make it?"

"Uh, yeah. S-sure." The news had caught him off-guard. _A ceremony? For me? _He knew he was the mayor and all, but he hadn't expected such a welcome. The crowd at the station had been more than enough. Still, who was he to disappoint the masses? _You do that all the time. _He shook his head to clear it of that voice inside himself.

"So, is that a no?"

"W-what? No! I was just. . .never mind. I'd be happy to attend. When is it?"

"Oh, that's wonderful! Okay, I'll leave and give you time to settle in, then I'll be back later to get you for the ceremony. It starts at-" He saw her face change to one of horror, "AGH! Forget about resting! It's about to start, like, _right now! _We have to hurry!" On that note, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him out of the tent, practically dragging him as she ran to the plaza.

The ceremony was short and to-the-point. Isabelle read off the usual speech, then handed a sapling to the new mayor. She instructed him to plant it, to put his heart into it. He did as she told him, covering the roots of the tree in cold dirt and padding it down. His head was down, so she couldn't see his expression perfectly. Yet, as he straightened up and the residents and she all clapped for him, she saw the clearest feeling of humility and gratitude on his blushing face. She remembered that feeling well. it was a feeling she got any time one of the residents took the time to give her the thank-you she had so desperately craved from her boss. if this new guy was anything like her, he didn't get to experience things like this very often. _I'll help you, mayor. _She didn't know how trained he was in the ways of their little community or if his species did such things (she had never seen any of them catching bugs or fishing on the TV), but she would teach him. As the tiny tree that he had planted grew, so to would he. She would make sure of it.

**AN: hello, again. So, as you may have guessed, I've decided to go ahead and keep going on this story. It would be nice if i could get some help with the plot, though. Three chapter in, and you've probably gotten a good idea of the direction I'm going with this. If you have any ideas (other than shipping ideas, because that's never gonna happen with this fic) I'd like to hear them. If you're a guest reading this, you can still send me an idea. You don't have to be a member or anything. Anyway, thank you all for reading my story. Hopefully I can keep it interesting until I find a good place to stop.**


	4. Chapter 4

_Where are you, you sneaky little devil?_

The hypnotizing, low hum of some sort of bug was driving Lee to madness. He had dug forty holes so far and, more bizarrely, counted each one. This was a new sort of experience, to say the least. He had seen a bug in the corner of his sterile home once. He had captured the poor thing in a jar and kept it as a secret pet under his bed, feeding it crumbs and scraps from his food until his mother discovered it and, in a fashion that was commonplace in his mysophobic society, promptly drowned it in home-pesticides. It had naturally upset him, but his mother was quick to scold him. _Such things are vile and germ-filled. You don't want to catch a disease, do you? _Her words had somehow stuck with him in the back of his subconscious and had once again surfaced with this new task given to him by Isabelle. _Three bugs. This should be easy. _Oh, how wrong he had been. He plunged his shovel into the icy earth once more—_forty-one. Come on!_-and was rewarded with a brown bug that quickly began to scurry away. "Finally!" He shouted aloud, lunging for the insect with his net. However, being new and inexperienced in the ways of bug hunting, he missed the creature quite spectacularly and smacked his face squarely onto the trunk of a tree. He opened his mouth to spew various profanities at his grandiose loss, but then his eyes caught sight of something above him—some sort of. . .well, he wasn't quite sure what it was. The force of his impromptu kiss with a tree had disturbed a small, dangling sort of creature that, as quick as it had came, receded back into the branches of the tree. A wide grin (with just the _slightest _hint of madness) spread like a small wildfire across Lee's face. He shook the tree once more, causing his new little friend to return. He quickly ensnared the strange looking worm, taking it out of its prison and examining it in his hands. "Are you cold?" He whispered, not wanting to seem even less sane than he felt. He then dubbed the small bug Gregor and proceeded to give it a new home in a small, plastic container. "Now" He sighed in disgust, "two more to go."

"These are lovely, Mayor!" Isabelle beamed at Lee, confident that he was settling in to this new society quite well. Her words caused his eyes to gleam with pride. Isabelle had to suppress a laugh. _He's like a little kid! _Perhaps he was. His race all looked the same to her, regardless of age, gender, etcetera.

"Thanks! I kinda like bug catching." He muttered something about a cricket, but Isabelle couldn't quite make out most of it. She imagined her new boss out in the open air, happily swinging away at the few insects available for this time of year. It made her jealous. _You can walk on the beach later, uh. . .what's your name again? _The memory of her early days serving her ex-box were trying to rear their ugly head again. She tried to push them away, not wanting to feel resentment for old mister Tortimer. He had somehow kept her busy all the time. She couldn't remember the last time she had visited the beach. That gave her an idea.

"Um, say, Mayor? H-have you been to the beach yet? Um, w-we could go there together if you like." She put her paws behind her back, fidgeting nervously. "M-maybe we could take some seashells back as a reminder of our l-little trip." Before Lee could respond, she quickly retracted her statement. "S-sorry! Sorry! That was too forward of me, wasn't it?" _You are a fool, Isabelle. What right have you to ask such a thing? Get back to work, you lazy mutt. _She sighed. _Shut up, Self. _"It would. . .maybe just be nice if you'd pick up a seashell and. . .maybe bring one back for me. I mean, you don't have to or anything, but it would make me happy." _Your happiness doesn't matter. Quiet!_

"Thanks. I haven't been there. I'll keep that in mind. I'll make sure to bring one back with me. Well, after I catch some fish. Cya, miss Isabelle." With that, he took his leave. When he had gone, Isabelle smiled weakly. _I'll bring ya one, miss secretary. Don't you worry. _Needless to say, that had never happened. Even if Mayor Lee repeated Tortimer's little memory slip, she supposed it didn't matter much. It was just a shell, after all. A dead, hollow remnant of a once-living sea creature. _Still. . .maybe this time. . ._

**AN: dear gosh. I should probably throw some external conflict into this thing. Can someone give me an idea? I mean, nothing but internal conflict isn't as interesting. Still, I don't want anything ****_too _****convoluted. That's for another fic. Thanks in advance.**


	5. Chapter 5

Lee discovered very quickly that he was a much better fisherman than he was a bug catcher. In the span of just two minutes, he had managed to bag all three fish that he needed for his encyclopedia. As he walked the beaches (pondering why on Earth the sea was so full of bass) he took the time to look up at the night sky, which was littered with twinkling stars. He sighed, remembering the night sky back home.

_There was a time when certain places couldn't even see the stars._

_Why was that, grandpa?_

_Oh, just things being pumped into the air is all. A little something you'll never have to worry about._

_I love the stars, grandpa. _

_So do I. No matter where you are in the world, the same stars can be seen by everyone. Well, at night, anyway. Heh._

Lee took another long sigh. _I hope you're looking up at these stars. Are you thinking of me? _He sat down on the damp sand, not bothering to worry about getting his pants wet. _Why, why couldn't I have kept my mouth shut? _He stared down at the sand, his face holding no expression, but a torrent of emotions trying to overtake him on the inside. _You just _had _to go and make it _so _hard, didn't you? _He didn't bother silencing the voice, for it had all the right in the world to chastise him. _You didn't have to speak up, you know. You'd still be hearing his stories, warm by the heating system if you'd just learned to shut up. Now look at you. _He put a hand to his face and dragged it to his chin, grimacing. _Do you honestly think a bunch of animals can replace what you've lost, you fool? You are no mayor. You don't deserve that secretary! _

"Isabelle."

He paused, realizing that he was about to start talking to himself. He got up, deciding that he needed something to occupy his mind. He began to walk up the slope, but quickly realized that he had nearly forgotten something. He walked back to the shore, grabbing a sand dollar. _Oh, come on! You really are a horrible person. Don't you think she deserves something better? _He couldn't help but agree. He wasn't well versed on the value of shells, but even just glancing at the beach ground told him that, no, sand dollars, weren't valuable, nor were they special. _Just like you. _"Shut up!" He grunted. What sort of crazy person would argue with themselves? He pushed that aside for the time being. His shoes sank slightly into the sand as he walked along the seaside, hoping to find something with a bit more flare.

On his way back to the town hall, he decided that he might as well get to know his new neighbors. One of them, a white, female ostrich with a red patch of feathers on her head, seemed like a good candidate.

"Um, excuse me." He tapped one of her wings lightly and she turned towards him.

"Oh! You must be the new mayor! Would you mind if I just called you Lee?" She rubbed the back of her head with a wing and blushed, "It's not that I don't respect your title or anything, it's just that 'mayor' sounds a bit formal for future friends, don't you think?"

He was taken aback by her statement. _Future. . .friends?_

"Anyways, I just _know _that you're gonna do your best to make our little town of Vona the best it can be!"

_Vona? Oh, the town name! I never even bothered to learn it! Gee, I'm off to a great start._

He nodded in agreement. Despite that rather large hiccup, he was determined to take his new responsibility as mayor very, very seriously. He would do whatever it took to do just what the ostrich said he would do. She waved goodbye cheerfully and went on her merry way. He didn't notice it right away, but Lee's mouth had decided to smile without his consent. He and his smile spoke to each and every villager, both of them growing stronger with each conversation.

Isabelle yawned so wide a bowling ball could fit in her mouth. Where was her new boss? She shrugged the question off. _Same story, different verse. _She had just decided to lay her head on her arms for a quick cat-nap (she had problems accepting that word for some reason) when the mayor pushed open the door.

"Mayor!" She quickly snapped herself into a more professional position, wiping the small amount of drool that had made its place on the corner of her mouth and, more distressingly, on her papers. Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice. He raised a hand in greeting, then made his way directly to his mayoral chair. _Getting to work already? _She left her desk and followed him, ready to explain all that she had to. Before she could open her mouth, he began to question her.

"Isabelle, what can I do to make this town happy? What is it that these citizens want? What are their current concerns? What do—"

"N-not to interrupt, Mayor, but. . ."

"Oh, sorry. Um, how's about just helping me with the first question, then?"

She thought for a moment. "Well, let's see. . ." She thought back to the things that the animals had requested of her and Tortimer, all that they had wanted and had never gotten. "Well, you could start on getting your approval ratings up and getting a photo ID."

"Hope you don't mind me asking, but how the heck is _that _going to help?"

"W-well, you see," His tone hadn't been harsh, but she was afraid that she had crossed some sort of invisible line that would set him off, "You need to have a certain percentage, as well as a complete form, to be able to work on enacting ordinances and public works projects."

"Public works projects?"

"Things that the citizens want built."

"Ah."

"And as for ordinances, those are certain laws that you can pass that regulate the shop times, the economy, the environment. . ." She trailed off at that one. _Do you really have to ask which ordinance I want, secretary? _"Currently, the Bell Boom ordinance is in place."

"I see. Is that important?"

"If you ask me, it doesn't make much of a difference. U-uh, b-but of course, if _you _like it, it's perfectly fine to keep it!" If her words had been on paper, she would have scribbled them out with a pen. _Idiot! It doesn't matter what you think. _

"Anything else?" He asked, his voice holding enthusiasm and a touch of anxiety.

"That should be about it. As far as getting your approval rating up goes, just be friendly to the animals. Do favors for them, visit their houses, etcetera. You'll be fine."

"Got it. Thank you." With that, he got up from his chair and headed for the door. "Ah! I almost forgot again. Here." her eyes widened as he handed her a small pearl oyster shell.

"You actually brought me back a seashell." Her voice was airy, almost a whisper. It was true that she had asked for it, but she hadn't really expected him to bring her one.

"You deserve it. I know you haven't been my assistant for very long, but you've already been so helpful to me. So. . .kind and accepting." His eyes flashed some sort of emotion that Isabelle didn't have time to recognize, for it vanished as quickly as it had come. "Goodnight, Isabelle." A blast of cold air hit her in the face as he opened the door and headed for his home. She almost offered to walk with him, but something told her that he could handle it. She had finished as much of his paperwork as she could without having his ID, so she was free to go home herself. _He remembered my name. _She stared down at the small, sandy object in her paw. _He remembered the seashell. _A small droplet hit the surface of the shell. She could feel herself shaking slightly. She put her treasure into her pocket and turned off the lights to town hall, looking back into the darkness with a hopeful smile. For once, just once, everything was going the way it should.

"I don't really care."

A wolf in a gray suit sat in a velvet-lined chair across from a man in a much darker suit. Said man refilled the gray-suited wolf's glass of red wine, which had barely been touched in the first place. The dark-suited man spoke once again.

"This delinquent took your job! Doesn't this bother you in the slightest?"

The wolf replied frankly, "Not really. These sorts of things can't be helped. I missed my train. That's all. I don't really care."

"Are you aware of what this. . .this _parasite _has done?"

The wolf sipped at his beverage. "Are you aware that I just don't care? So he ruffled a few feathers in your little utopia. No real harm done."

The man slammed his hands down on the desk, the sound echoing in the stark room. "_No really harm done?! _Look, I don't know how those in _your _society handle insolence, but in this society it is _not _tolerated!"

"I thought you and your kind were all about toleration."

The man couldn't think of a reply, so he merely grunted loudly, hoping that this might convey his feeling on the matter and convince the wolf to help him. It didn't.

"I'm not going to go take power from some punk just because your on a petty revenge trip. Vona isn't worth my time. It's a quiet little town with nothing to offer me. Heck, I was only going to take it over as a favor to an old friend of mine." The wolf decided that he had become bored with the angry man across from him and got up, not bothering to finish his glass. "Thanks for the drink."

"Y-you can't just _leave! _Think about what I'm offering you here!"

The wolf made his way to the door. "I have no desire for a spot in your company, sir. What use is it to me? I want a different sort of power. The kind that entails leadership." He smirked. "By the looks of it, your kind don't want any thing even resembling that. Good evening, Mr. Reeds. Good luck with your endeavors." With that, the wolf closed the door behind him, leaving a very angry and disappointed Reeds to stew in his own fury. _I don't need you. I'll take him down myself if I have to. Keep your luck, Xavier. I won't be needing it._

**Wow. It took me five chapters to introduce some sort of villain. It took me five chapters to even give the town a name! The heck? Slow pacing much? Agh. No matter. Thank you very much TheGolurker, for your ideas. They've given me some sort of fuel for external conflict. I suppose I could've ended the fic here and just left the last bit out, but. . .oh well. I hope I can pull this off. I apologize in advance for any unintentional Villain Sue-age. Make sure to call me out on it if it looks like I'm heading in that direction.**


	6. Chapter 6

The morning sun broke over the horizon. Lee sat up and cracked his sore, aching back. Sleeping on the cold, hard floor of a tent wasn't the most pleasant way to spend his first night here, and he _swore _his shoulder felt like it had been being jabbed with a stick all night. _I've gotta pay off that loan. _He rubbed his fatigued eyes, not knowing what time it was. The little tanuki known as Tommy had told him that he and his brother changed their products daily, so perhaps they were selling a clock today. This was enough motivation for Lee to gather up what little energy he had and stand, stretching and yawning, trying to chase away the last of his drowsiness. He lifted the tent flap and was greeted with bright, blinding sunlight. _How long was I asleep?! _He looked up at the sky, shielding his eyes from the shining rays of the sun with his hand. _Noon. How on Earth did I sleep so long in that awful tent? _It was of little consequence, so he decided not to dwell on his poor sleeping habits. Instead, he crunched through the snow on his way to main street. He didn't make it very far, as he was stopped by Caroline—a red, female squirrel with big, round, blue eyes.

"Afternoon, Lee!" Caroline greeted.

"Oh, hello there, Caroline. You need something?"

"How could you tell?" She took a moment to look amazed, then continued. "Anyways, I was wondering if you could maybe do me a small favor?"

_I'm kind of busy right now. . .oh, who cares? The clock can wait._

"What can I do for you?"

She smiled widely, happy that he seemed willing to help. "I've been trying to catch a barbel steed, but I just can't seem to find one! Lee, would you mind catching one for me?"

_That's it? Huh. . .well, I guess I shouldn't complain about such an easy task. Plus, fishing _would _be a great way to get money, so I might as well kill two birds with one stone. _As if on cue, a green bird known as Frank walked by in Lee's line of vision, instantly making him feel awkward for such a thought. _Note to self—find new phrases that don't involve killing animals. _

"Leave it to me."

"Oh, I _knew _I could count on you! Alright, I'll be waiting, hulaaaa!"

He was still getting used to those silly catchphrases his neighbors would utter. No one back home did such a thing. Then again, maybe they did and he just wasn't around to hear it. He wasn't exactly as social butterfly. _That will have to change now. _He walked to the river, turning this thought over and over in his head. He cast his line into the water and waited for a catch. _I suppose being a mayor would require me to do such a thing. I was lucky yesterday. None of the animals had met me, so the topic of conversation was easy. What am I gonna do today? Will they all— _his thoughts were interrupted by a tug on the line. He yanked on the rod and frantically began reeling in his prize. He was disappointed to find that it was merely an old boot. He sighed and placed it next to him. He considered the possibility of wearing it if he caught another one just like it. He threw the line once again in hopes of having better luck and got back to his train of thought. _Will they all start conversations involving favors like Caroline did? Highly unlikely. I'll have to think of what to say. Maybe I should ask what— _he brought in the line for a second time. To his dismay, an old tire was all that he had gotten. He added it to his pile of two objects and cast again. _Maybe I should ask what they want for public works projects? No_

_. . .maybe I'm supposed to be more intuitive than that? Able to guess what they want? Gaah! How exactly does this whole mayor thing work?! _Politics was one of the many Undesirable Travesties that had been done away with, according to his grandfather. Lee had never even considered doing anything requiring him to hold a position involving any sort of responsibilities. Owning one's own company wasn't his style. Then again. Not much was. He pulled up another catch, a crucian carp this time. For some reason, he felt the overwhelming desire to make a bad pun. He did so, then tried for a barbel steed. _My approval rating, now, what am I supposed to do about that? Oh, sure, I can try to raise it to one-hundred, but— _a tin can this time—_is such a thing possible?do I have to get _everyone _to like me? I can barely get _myself _to like me! How'm I supposed to—_a second boot. His pile was growing ever larger— _be the mayor everybody wants? _It had taken his society decades to finally come to a point of Total Osmosis. Complete and utter agreement. It was true that he had decades ahead of him, but getting everyone to agree was one thing—getting them to _like _the same person was another. _Why must things be so complicated? Why must I be the one to lead?_ His pile of trash grew once more with the retrieval of an old, rusty key that had probably been sitting in that river for around four or five years. _And _why_, for the love of all sanity, is there so much _garbage _in this river?!_

Isabelle was unsure of what to do. The mayor hadn't given her any paperwork or orders, and she had already caught up on all that needed catching up on. In other words, she was bored. Completely, utterly, unbelievably bored. Having no one to give her assignments was strange. Unsettling even. Doing another's work had been her whole life for so many years that she no longer knew what to do when no work was being given to her, and it was driving her crazy. She paced the floor, paced the floor on all fours just for the sake of doing so, played with a desk toy, swept and mopped the floors of town hall, then proceeded to count the tiles on the ceiling. _Come on, mayor! Can't you ask me to do _anything_? _Whilst she loved being treated with the same respect she gave to others for a change, going stir-crazy was an unforeseen side-effect that she didn't quite like. _Maybe I should just go look for him. Yeah! I'm sure he can think of _something _for me to do! _With the knowledge of the exact number of ceiling tiles now safely tucked away in her brain, she made her way into the chilly winter air to find her mayor.

She found him standing on the bank of the river next to a pile of litter nearly as tall as he was. She saw him pull back, and seconds later a barbel steed came splashing and flailing out of the water. She heard what sounded like the loud whoop of a gorilla, but then realized that it was just the mayor. Apparently, barbel steeds made him happy enough to yell and dance around in a fashion similar to that of a chicken. He stopped once he saw that she was there, shrugged, then got back to his dancing. _I. . I don't. . .what? How am I supposed to respond to this? _Thankfully, he stopped at last and gave her a proper greeting.

"How goes it, Isabelle?"

"Um, good. Good. Say, you wouldn't happen to have any work that needs to be done, would you? Boring paperwork and the like?"

He placed a hand to his chin and looked down at the ground for a moment before speaking. "Nope. Nothing that I can think of." She tried not to look distraught. _Off to count floor splinters, then. _

"Why don't you take the day off?"

If ears could fly off of a dog's head for sheer surprise, poor Isabelle would've had to find replacements. _Day. . .off?_

"Day off? Are you sure?"

"Heck yeah I'm sure! I can't really think of anything. . .mayor-like for now, so there's no need for you to assist me."

"A-are you sure? Can't you think of anything?"

His expression changed to one of worry. "When I said I couldn't think of anything, I was serious. I really can't think of _anything. _I need a better approval rating to begin with, but going around begging for favors seems kinda pathetic! I mean, what kind of mayor _does _that? Is that normal? I have no idea!"

"Calm down, mayor!"

"R-right. Right. Sorry. It's just. . .I don't wanna let these kind people down, you know? I can't figure out how to help them without coming off as incompetent. I have no idea what a leader is supposed to do. I've hardly seen one in action before. You gotta help me, Isabelle. You just gotta!"

She was taken aback by his honest cry for help. Mayor Tortimer had always been so sure of himself. If ever there was a moment that he wasn't, he had never shown it to her, nor to anyone else. Now, with her new boss looking at her pleadingly, she was unsure of her _own _ability to render assistance! She tried to think up an answer. "Hmmm. . .have you talked to anyone today?"

"Well, other than Caroline, no. I'm kinda iffy about that. I'm what you'd call 'awkward.'"

"But didn't you talk to everyone yesterday? Oh, or did you skip that?"

"No, no. I talked to them yesterday, but that was different. I was a new face. They had something to form a conversation about."

"And what makes you think that they won't today?"

He blinked in surprise. _Wow. Just how awkward _are _you? _

"Very."

_Sigh. _"Well, if you'd like, I'll go with you. I can hide behind a tree or something. If the conversation starts to go south, I'll rush in and say that we have important business back at town hall and you can just tell them that you simply must go. Sound good?"

"That sounds great! Isabelle, you're a genius!"

She blushed and rubbed the back of her head with her paw. Such high praise from a superior for a simple idea? Perhaps she was more helpful than she had first thought.

The day went by quickly. The mayor did a surprisingly good job talking to all the animals, with Isabelle having to step in and whisk him away only once or twice. He was better at socializing than he had given himself credit for, and he was glad. Throughout the day, the two of them had run errands for the neighbors, fulfilling each request with the utmost gratitude. Lee because he was helping, and Isabelle because it kept the boredom away. That, and it was just in her nature to be a helper. It made her happy, and now that she was receiving feedback from her boss, it made the little tasks all the sweeter. As the sun set on Lee's second day in Vona, both the mayor and his secretary felt as though they had made much progress. The day had been fully seized, and now they could rest. They shook a nice looking apple tree and sat down for an evening meal. Though the snow was cold and the air freezing, both felt warmth from the memories of satisfied faces throughout the day.

"And did you see how happy she was when we delivered that clock?"

"Yeah! To be honest, I kinda wanted to buy it from her. Oh well. Maybe the shop will have one in stock tomorrow."

"Yeah. You could check, anyway. And if not, the day after that, maybe."

This sort of small conversation continued on for some time, the two now stuffed with bits of delicious apples.

"Do you think my approval rating is nearing one-hundred-percent yet?"

Isabelle sat up straighter. Business time.

"Oh, not that it matters that much. I was just curious. The sooner I can reach my goal, the sooner I can start developing this place."

She relaxed and slouched back down into a comfortable position next to the tree. "I don't know. Probably not. These things take time, so don't expect perfection right away."

"Yeah, true." He sighed. "I just don't want to wait! I'm antsy to start my first project. What should it be? Have they said anything to you yet?"

"Well, just some run-of-the-mill things like benches and street lamps."

"Great! I'll start on a bench first."

She smiled. "You sure are eager to make this town a better place."

"Truth be told, I've never had a responsibility like this before. I wanna do good the first time so I don't have to come back and clean up a big mess later." His eyes unfocused. "I'm good at messing things up." He said it so quietly that she wasn't sure if he had been talking to her or himself.

"What do you mean?"

He didn't answer right away, but then placed his hands behind his head, as if wanting to get comfortable for a long story. Either that, or a story that wasn't easy for him to tell.

"I didn't know that I would be made mayor once I got here. I was on that train because I said some things that I shouldn't have."

"What kind of things?"

"Oh, nothing serious. Well, not the way _I _see it. Those around me thought otherwise. I just decided one day that I didn't like how things were going in my society and tried to change them. I didn't do anything big, really. I just suggested to a few people that some aspects of the Old Order shoulda been kept, and some agreed with me. This ended up making some guy's wife upset for some reason, which got the _guy _upset enough to reeducate those that had agreed with what I said. Anyway, long story short, I was basically declared a traitor and a fool and sent on the next train to. . .well, here."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

They both sat in silence then, neither of them knowing what to say. The sun went down and the stars began to show in the sky, which meant that it was time for the both of them to head home. As they got up to leave, Isabelle spoke, breaking the silence.

"Well, it doesn't matter now. One past mistake doesn't mean that you'll mess up now. You're already doing a fine job as mayor. Just keep at it."

Thought the light was dim, she saw him smile softly. "Thanks. Isabelle. I really needed that."

"My pleasure."

The two began to part ways, but then she decided to add one more thing.

"And, for the record, I don't think what you did was wrong."

He stopped, as if she had just spoken to him in some foreign language.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

_I don't think what you did was wrong. _Her words followed him home, driving him just a bit crazy. _She wasn't there. She didn't know. She was just being nice. That's her job, after all. She's my secretary. Well, no. She's more than that. _He supposed it was silly of him to think of her in such a way so early, but he couldn't deny how he felt. _She's my friend. The sister I never had. _What's more, she was the first person (dog) to agree with him since the incident. He had finally come to terms with the fact that he had acted in error, and now here she was questioning that. _Maybe. . .maybe it wasn't _entirely _my fault. No, no. I can't go blaming others. That's not right. I messed up. I just have to accept that. Still. . ._

whether or not his friend was biased, it was nice hearing words of encouragement. Tomorrow, he would raise his approval rating even higher, perhaps even to the required goal. As he walked home, he noticed a small, wooden sign surrounded by a rope-fence. _This spot reserved for Annabelle's new home—Nook Homes. _And, apparently, greeting a new neighbor. He smiled. Tomorrow was looking brighter than today had been.

**AN: HA! You thought I meant romantic feelings, didn't you? Oh, come on. Not even a little? You're no fun. Oh, wait, I said there wouldn't be any shipping. Well, good on you for reading that part, then! I'm sure I can find some other way to troll my growing audience (which I am grateful for, by the way. Thanks each and every one of you for taking the time to read this. It's nice knowing that I can entertain people.)**


	7. Chapter 7

_Paperwork! Glorious, glorious paperwork!_

Isabelle hummed the town's tune cheerily as she filled out the forms for Vona's newest resident, an anteater by the name of Annabelle. Whilst she had enjoyed her day off with the mayor, she wasn't quite used to such a flexible, carefree schedule. She supposed that she needed to acquire a taste for that sort of thing, since the new mayor preferred it, but she couldn't deny that she felt oh-so useful back behind her desk. _La la la, resident's name, doo-dee-doo._ She signed the bottom of the last page with an inky paw.

"Officially authorized!" Her voice echoed through the small building. She sighed. "Now what?" She didn't want to go back to the boredom of yesterday, but it looked as though that was how the afternoon was going to shape up. She had taken her time on the papers, meticulously reading and re-reading each line for the simple purpose of occupying herself. She had made her work stretch for as many hours as she could, but even paperwork had its ending point. She tapped a pen against her desk repeatedly, wondering how she would be able to cope with this new regime. _I can't spend my days like this. Wasn't there something I wanted to do? _Her mind wandered to the sound of ocean waves and the feeling of sandy paws. _Ah, yes. The beach! Perhaps I could spend my time there. No, wait, what if the mayor needs me? _She pushed herself a distance away from her desk and proceeded to spin her office chair in a circle. The boredom was maddening. _He wouldn't mind. He's not as strict as Tortimer was. . .not so far, anyway. _She remembered their activities of yesterday. Simple favors for the neighbors. Nothing too serious or even mayoral. _Once he gets into the gritty business of being a mayor, he will be much busier. I'll have something to do when that time comes._ This revelation came with another. _I'll be overworked as usual. All-nighters and paperwork up to my chin. _Her shoulders sagged and she stopped her chair with her foot. _That's fine. That's the way it should've been these past days. _She mentally chastised herself for being so willing to take the day off yesterday. _Paperwork is what you are good at, _the little voice pointed out with conviction, and Isabelle agreed with it. She stared down at the stack of papers. They weren't just a means of keeping the boredom away, and she knew it. _I could always refile the old records. _As she prepared to do just that, the door opened.

"Hello, Miss Isabelle." The post-pelican dressed in formal green greeted her with his usual rushed politeness.

"Pete? It's not five o'clock yet. Something up?"

"Nothing unusual, ma'am. I got the approval rating report for the new mayor early."

"What?" She walked hurriedly to him and took the package of papers from his hands (wings). "How did you manage to get them so fast?"

"The neighbors came to _us _this time! Isn't that amazing? They've never been so enthusiastic about helping the committee with the report before. Guess the new guy knows his stuff." The pelican laughed as if he had said something hilarious. Isabelle just stood in amazement, looking down at the committee's report. _One-hundred percent. One. . .hundred percent in less than a week. H-how. . ._

"You okay, Miss Isabelle."

"I'm fine. I just. . .so soon! You remember when Tortimer first took office, don't you? How long it took to get his ratings up?"

"Lot of good that did, huh?"

"That's not the point. How did he win the residents over so easily? And so soon?"

"Not everyone is like your old boss, Miss. By the sound of it, you two made quite the team yesterday."

"A few favors don't skyrocket one's approval rating this quick!"

Pete shrugged. "Nothing wrong with a quick success. No need to make a big deal about it. Heck, now we won't have to wait for that illuminated heart project."

"I don't think anyone but you would find a use for that."

"Someday! Just you wait, Isabelle. I'll just keep trying. She'll see me a boyfriend material. Mark my words!" With that, a slightly saddened Pete left the town hall, more than likely off to write yet another love letter to the cold, uncaring purple pelican responsible for the dreaded night shift. _Poor sucker. _She rolled her eyes and sat back down at her desk, awaiting the mayor's arrival.

"Achoo!" Lee had only himself to blame for the shower of saliva and mucus that made its way onto his face. The beige bear before him had looked awful when Lee arrived for a visit. Still, a warning would've been nice.

"I feel so c-c-c-cold. Ugh. I think I'm dying."

"This isn't the Dark Ages, Nate. You won't die from a little cold."

"Tell that to my stuffy head. I can't even taste my food. That's a fate _worse _than death! I'd give anything for some medicine."

he supposed it was selfish of him, but Lee couldn't help but feel a bit glad that the bear had basically requested him to bring medicine. He had come to like doing favors for his neighbors, and it bugged him when they just decided "oh, hey! I have an idea. I'll just make small chit-chat with Lee today. I don't need no favors, no-siree!"

"Don't you worry, Nate. I'll be right back."

"Medicine! My kingdom for some medicine!"

leaving his delirious friend, Lee made his way to main street. He was just about to cross the railroad tracks when the sound of a familiar voice stopped him.

"Mister Mayor! Wait!"

He turned to see Isabelle rushing towards him with a stack of papers clutched in her little paws. She stopped once she reached him, taking a moment or two to catch her breath.

"Isabelle? What's the urgency."

"I just," she took another long breath, "Wanted to give you the news as soon as possible. You haven't been to town hall all day and it's almost evening. I got the news this afternoon. I wish I had come to you sooner now that I think about i—"

"Spit it out, please."

"S-sorry, sorry! Um, take a look at this." She thrust the stack of paperwork into his arms. He looked at them with a questioning expression on his face.

"Uh. . ."

"You did it, Mayor! You've achieved one-hundred percent approval from the citizens!" She pointed to one of the lines on one of the sheets. Lee's eyes lit up and a small spark of excitement made its way through his body.

"One. . .hundred. . .percent?!" He couldn't bring himself to believe it. He looked up to see his secretary smiling widely at him. "One-hundred percent." He muttered once more in pure amazement. "I thought you said that these things took time."

"Yes, I did," a look of worry flashed across her face and quickly vanished, "But I guess I was wrong. I guess you're just that good, Mayor." She smiled again. "You did it."

"You mean, _we _did it. I couldn't have made it this far without you." He couldn't help but feel the most wonderful sense of euphoria. _They really do believe in me. They believe in what I will do. I really _will _pull this off! _The sense of victory at catching a barbel steed paled in comparison to the moment he was currently in. For the first time since his arrival, his goals, his hopes, his dreams for this town were becoming a tangible reality in the form of the papers in his hands. He placed them on the ground, grabbed Isabelle's paw, and spun in a circle in whilst jumping happily. "We we've done it! We've really done it, Isabelle!" His poor secretary's equilibrium was being horribly thrown off by Lee's celebration. She wished that she had his sort of energy. _Oh, the leap in productivity I would have! _

"Y-yes, we did. We did. Would you mind letting go of my paw, pretty please, Mayor? I might throw up."

He stopped immediately. "Throw up. . .ah! I nearly forgot! Gotta go, Isabelle. I needed to get something from main street as quickly as possible. I'll be back at town hall as soon as I can be!" And so he ran across the tracks and off to the store, the yellow dog still trying to recover her sense of balance.

"Agh. It tastes awful!" The bear's face grimaced after he downed the bitter medicine.

"I thought you said you couldn't taste anything."

"I was wrong. Horribly, _horribly _wrong! But still, thank you, Lee. I'm feeling better already." Nate gave him a weak smile, which was erased with another sneeze.

"You're welcome. I'll come and check up on you tomorrow." The bear moaned in agony, but managed a courteous bow as his friend left his home.

Along the way back to town hall, Lee remembered that he still had something important to do. He changed his direction and headed for the rope fence that he had discovered yesterday, running all the way as to keep his body heat up in the chilly air that was rapidly dropping in temperature as the sun disappeared in the distance. He reached his destination and knocked on the newly constructed door before entering. There wasn't much to see in the new home, as was to be expected, but the floor and walls had already been decorated with a checkered pattern and a crosshatched pattern, respectively. In the center of the room, amid towers of boxes ranging from small to very large, stood a bright orange anteater dressed in a flowery shirt. Despite never seeing him before, she greeted Lee with enthusiasm, a behavior of these animals that he was quickly growing fond of.

"Oh! You must be the mayor I've heard so much about. Hiya! Name's Annabelle. Nice to meet you! I hope we can become best friends. Sorry we can't hang out today. I've got so much unpacking to do. Ooh! Hey, do you like sponge cake? I'm sure I have some around here somewhere. Hey, I know! Let's play hide-and-seek! Wait, can you fit in a box? I can't fit in any of them. Guess that means we can't play. How about dress up? Wait, I have no idea which box has my clothes. Or maybe-"

The anteater was talking at one-thousand miles an hour. Lee wondered if she had brought along caffeine, and notable amounts of it. He hadn't even said a word to her yet. When she finally took a breath to say something else, Lee took the momentary pause as a chance to say something himself.

"Would you like some help unpacking?"

"What? No thank you, snorty. I can handle it!"

"But you haven't even started, by the looks of it."

"Don't you worry! I'm good at speed unpacking. I'll have everything done before it's even time for my evening coffee! I do so adore coffee. I like Kilimanjaro the best. What do you like? Oh, do you like tea? I prefer coffee, but tea is nice, too! Maybe you should come over sometime for a tea party! Or a coffee party. Maybe a tea _and _coffee party with little cakes! Hey, where'r you going, snorty?"

"I've got. . .things to do. Uh, welcome to Vona. Goodbye."

"Oh, bye-bye! See you tomorrow! And the day after that, and the day after that, and the day after

tha—"

_Slam!_

Lee hadn't meant to shut the door so hard, but he imagined that his brain cells, if they could talk, would thank him. _Well, I know who _I'll _be avoiding as much as possible. _He knew that was no way to be thinking, but there was only so much pep he could take. He wondered if that was what it was like for Isabelle when he got overly hyped up. _I am so sorry. _He shook his head in shame, then took off in a run for town hall.

"A new town ordinance?"

"Yes indeed. What are my options?"

Isabelle handed her boss a list with all the possible ordinances on it. All four of them. She wondered to herself why in the world there were so few, but she supposed such a thing had its benefits. At least he wouldn't spend forever debating on which one to enact.

"I just can't decide."

_Crud._

"Well, which one speaks to you?"

"Hmmm. Well, I suppose this one would be nice." He pointed to the Night Owl ordinance.

"If you choose that one, everyone will wake up later. No dealing with morning people. The shops will also close later."

"Sweet. I could sleep in." He smirked, his expression telling her that he was partly joking. His eyes traveled to another section of the page. "What's this one? The 'Keep Vona Beautiful' thing?"

Though she was supposed the remain unbiased, Isabelle poured out every bit of information on said act. She had always wanted that one and had recommended it to Tortimer multiple times in the hopes that he would shell out the twenty-thousand bells for it. "If you enact that one, the entire town will pitch in to water the flowers. Weeds? Forget about them! They'll be an unpleasant rarity. The air will be crisper, cleaner. Lovely hybrids will be more likely to grow and thrive. The grass will be softer and more healthy, just imagine walking on it! And the river," She closed her eyes, envisioning the scene that she was trying to paint for the mayor, "The river. . .will be perfectly clean for the first time in many years. No garbage at all. Ever!" The zeal in her voice reached its peak at the her last sentence. "Is. . .is that your vision for Vona, mister Mayor?"

"It sounds like a paradise. How could it not be?" She looked to see that his mien mirrored hers. He, too, could see all the good that the law could bring. He reached into his pocket and handed her a sack of exactly twenty-thousand bells.

"Thank you, Mayor. I'll just take care of the needed paperwork and everything will be ready by tomorrow." She made no effort to keep the glee from her voice. _At last. _There was nothing left for the mayor to do, so he took his leave, wishing his happy helper a good night. She sighed in satisfaction and began preparing the law for inaction.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Were you able to get ahold of the documents?"

"Yes, sir. It wasn't very hard. The committee is very trusting of new members."

"Splendid. And the report?"

"One-hundred percent as you requested, sir. He should be enacting a new town law by now, or maybe he's already finished."

"Good. Make sure to keep your ears attentive to what they want. Be helpful."

"Yes, sir. . .sir?"

"Hmm?"

"This doesn't really make much sense, if you ask me."

"I _didn't _ask you."

"Right. Sorry, sir. Have a pleasant evening."

"The same to you."

_click. _


	8. Chapter 8

Lee paid the newest face to main street, a happy sloth with light brown fur and a wide smile, enough money for two sacks of flowers. It had been three weeks since his approval rating had reached perfection, and so it was now time for his new goal—a perfect town. Isabelle had mentioned that the residents adored flowers and lots of them, so Lee had made a point to get as many as possible as soon as he could. The sloth waved goodbye as Lee left the store, flowers in hand. He knew just where to plant them. _Whoever heard of flowers on the beach? _He smiled to himself as he ran for the coast, imagining such a sight. _I certainly haven't. Heh. Maybe the villagers will enjoy such a novelty. _He himself had only been to two beaches in his life—one being the town's beach, the other being the one located in his old home. He had only been to the latter one a handful of times, but he had never seen flowers on it, nor had he seen them on this beach. He assumed that it was an uncommon sight, but for all he knew, it was as rare as a sea bass. _It doesn't matter. I'm sure they will like it anyway. _As the sandy ground and seawater became visible, so too did an unfamiliar figure. Lee couldn't make out who it was, but he would find out soon enough.

"So, you're the new mayor?" The figure slowly turned. He was an old tortoise about the same height as Lee. "Guess Xavier didn't want the job. Or, perhaps, you decided to revolt and took office for yourself?" The tortoise laughed. "I'm kidding, of course. He explained everything to me. Well, congratulations! I'm sure you'll lead this dump almost as good as I did."

_Hey! This place isn't a dump! Wait. . .why is _that _the first thing I'm thinking of? Shouldn't I be asking. . ._

"I'm sorry, but. . .who are you?"

The tortoise let out a hearty belly laugh. He seemed unfazed by Lee's bewilderment. "Me? Name's Tortimer. Ex-mayor Tortimer. Yeah, I used to be the leader of this here place, but I've moved on to bigger and better things."

"Like what?" _Seriously. Shouldn't I be more concerned or something?_

"Like doing absolutely nothing at all. That's what I've come to talk to you about." He handed Lee a small, spiked fruit, then took one out for himself. "You've been leading this place for quite some time, correct?"

"How did you—"

"The job can get stressful at times, huh?"

"Not too often, actually. I mean, yeah, it was hard at first, but—"

"I've come to tell you about a place where those stresses can melt away under the summer sun." He pointed out across the expanse of blue that was the ocean. "Beyond here, beyond what you can see, there's a little tropical island run by kappas. Oh, wait. You call them 'turtles.' My bad. Anyway, it's always summer there. Never snows. Never gets cold. Not to mention, there's tons of rare fish and bugs that can be sold for a handsome sum of bells." His eyes gleamed. "Well, anyway, would such a thing interest you? If so, I can call up a buddy of mine and have him make stops here starting tomorrow. What do you say?"

Lee's brain was taking this mysterious new face and the proposal of some unseen island full of supposedly rare creatures surprisingly well. He answered immediately.

"Sounds good."

"Perfect!" The tortoise looked relieved. "Starting tomorrow, you'll be able to go there whenever you like." Tortimer made his way to the end of the dock and stepped into a small rowboat that Lee hadn't noticed previously. "And just as a suggestion," He began to row away with a surprising speed, "why not take that poor secretary with you? She could use a vacation." he was too far away for Lee to make out his expression. "And. . .it's long overdue. . ." he raised his head to the sky, obscuring Lee's view of his face. Lee walked back up the slope, forgetting why he had even come to the beach in the first place.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"A vacation?"

"Yeah! Why not?"

Isabelle had sat and listened as Lee had given her the news. _Why is Tortimer suddenly showing up and offering vacation suggestions? I swear, he gets weirder as he ages._

"But. . .I already had a day off. . ."

"Isabelle, that was _weeks _ago! You never come to the beach with me, you never want to just go outside and walk, you never want to do much of anything besides work. What gives?"

_Feeling blunt today, Mayor? _

"Yes."

Isabelle sighed. "Look. Just go enjoy yourself. My place is here. Working. That's just what I do, Mayor. It's my job."

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."

"Who's Jack?"

"Er, never mind. Look, I'm _ordering _you to come with me. Think of it as a field study."

"Of what?"

"Of relaxation and its effects on overworked canines."

"Very funny."

"Bring a fishing pole, alright? See you at the beach in the morning." And before Isabelle could open her mouth to protest, Lee ran out the door and shut it behind him. She slammed a paw on the desk in a burst of passive-aggression. _Do you not understand how this system works, Mayor?! _His carefree attitude had been a splash of cool water at first, but she had grown tired of not being given much to do for the past few weeks. It was starting to get under her skin and she could feel herself becoming irritated more and more easily. He was messing up the entire dynamic. She was the worker. He was the boss. That simple. Nothing to memorize. Nothing to think about. Just give the orders so that she could follow. _You really are useless, aren't you? _"I am right now."

She folded her arms underneath her chin and rested on them, staring off into nothingness. Perhaps it was the rose-colored filer of nostalgia or maybe it was the simple fact that she felt unneeded, but she was suddenly missing her old boss. She had disliked the long hours and lack of thanks, but at least she felt _needed_. Mayor Lee was independent. Full of energy. He had needed her help in the beginning, but now he was practically flying solo. The lack of paperwork had become so unbearable that she had taken up origami. She reclined back in her chair as much as she could, staring at the paper cranes, monkeys, trains, pelicans, racoons, owls, boats, and various other shapes overhead. How was it that the responsibilities had yet to harden that soft face of his? Tortimer had started to develop wrinkles within two weeks! _He's not Tortimer. You should know that, idiot. _It was hard not to compare one boss to another. In a way, they were all the same. They gave orders, she followed them. They asked for something, she made it happen. Now, this new face was destroying the path that Isabelle had followed for so long.

_I hate you, Mayor. _She looked at the seashell that was on her desk. The seashell that he had given her. _I hate you. I hate you and I hate the stupid island! _She threw the shell against the wall, watching it shatter as if made from brittle glass. _I hate not being needed! _She took out a broom and dustpan, sweeping up every last miniscule fragment meticulously. _I will go with you only because you ordered me to do so. Just don't expect me to be happy about it._

** AN: Gee. Aren't I just ****_so _****good at transitioning from mood to mood? Bah. Forgive me.**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: man, I had the writing bug this weekend! Alas, my computer and I were not together for most of it. Well, thankfully I was able to satiate my appetite for writing at last and finish this chapter. I may have made a blunder, so if you see it, please let me know.**

Two pairs of feet made their way to the dock of the bay, the morning sky casting a soft light upon them and the few residents that were already awake. A boat was waiting for them, ready to be piloted by the aging captain standing in it. Once the two reached said boat, the captain looked up at them.

"Gar, what in the deep blue. . .do me peepers peep the new mayor? Ol' Tortimer told me ye were comin'. A whale of a job it is for such a wee minnow such as yerself to lead this town o' critters, yar har!" The kappa let out a laugh, fully enjoying the idea of such a young fellow running the entire town. "Oh, pay me no mind, lad. I be known as Kapp'n. This be me boat, an' a fine boat she is indeed! Fancy ye a trip across the briny deep?"

"Huh? Oh, yes! Er, two for the island, please."

"Yar, that be right as rain. Oh, but one thing before ye board- do leave yer effects with me when ye hop off onto the tropical sands. Don't worry yerself none. Most of yer stuff'll be right here when ye leave." He patted a small ice chest wedged under the boat's storage compartment.

"That's a silly rule!" Lee turned to Isabelle, hoping for a little back up, but she didn't appear to be listening.

"Har har! Ah, ye be one of the innocents. Can't fault ye fer that I guess. Me n' the missus've had some. . .stormy encounters in the past. Nothin' t' worry yerself with. Just a few sharks in our little pond. Leavin' yer stuff behind's nothin' personal, lad. Just our little policy."

_He doesn't want to get bit by the sharks again. I can understand that. _Lee emptied his pockets of all his belongings, taking the time to wonder just how he had managed to get them all into them in the first place. Isabelle, naturally, had nothing to hand over.

"It be one thousand bells per round trip. Y' still up fer it?"

"Ye coulda mentioned that before!" Lee paused. _My word. It's contagious! _The captain tried to keep from laughing as he accepted the payment, not bothered that this newcomer had stolen his vernacular. Lee nearly stumbled into the water as he placed a shaky foot into the unstable boat. If not for the yellow dog beside him, the fish would have found an unwelcome intruder in their ocean home.

"It appears ye don't have yer sea-legs! No matter. Me home be quite the hot-spot fer toursits. Ye'll be getting' the hang of boardin' in no time!" He extended a hand to the dog still on the dock and she accepted.

"Thank you."

With a pull of the string, the engine rumbled to life. The waters in front of them began to spray the sides of the boat as their voyage began. Kapp'n cleared his throat.

"Oh, summertime, you're so summery.

You make me toes so hot, I ne-ed some tea.

So gimme so-ome tea with a nice twist o-o' li—"

"Please don't sing."

Isabelle's quiet voice startled both the captain and the other passenger.

"Gar?! Why ye gotta be such a gray cloud, lass? Here I am, ready to sing me heart out fer ye, and—"

She shot him a look that, had looks been able to do so, might have left a smoking hole right through his skull. He obliged with no further comment, and the miffed puppy turned back to stare at the empty sea. This was, naturally, a bit concerning for Lee, but if life had taught him anything, it was this—never, _ever _question a woman when she's angry. Though she was a dog, he knew very well that Isabelle fell into this category, and he had no desire to lose a limb. The rest of the trip passed by slowly and with an awkward silence that hung in the air like a giant, swinging, scythe-like pendulum that no one dared to touch. At last, the prisoners were freed from their ropes as the island came into view. The two stepped out of the boat and, much to his chagrin, Lee's feet decided to give way under him. He landed in the water with a fantastic _splash, _spraying the captain and Isabelle. Kappn' laughed atop his lungs, happy to have something to dispel the tension. Lee joined in, equally mortified and grateful for his little accident. He looked up at Isabelle and saw that even she wasn't completely immune. A smile was fighting to be let out upon her face and she was having to fight with all of her strength to keep it back. He climbed out of the water and drip dropped into the small hut.

"Have yerself a whale of a time, lad." He turned to Isabelle as she followed slowly behind him. "And you too, lass. Try t' unwind a bit. I dunno what manner o' crab pinched yer toe, but I do hope that a bit o' sun and sand can help ye." His voice held no anger, rather genuine concern. She was relieved that he had forgiven her so quickly. _Some are quicker to forgive than others. You could learn a thing or two, moron. _She had decided not to fight that part of her anymore. She would let it say whatever it wanted. It made no difference. _Neither will this little trip that I've been dragged into._

The music of the lobby was an upbeat tune that screamed "tropical paradise." Inside the small hut, an array of trinkets sat, begging to be bought. One that caught his eye in particular was a small plant of some sort inside a pot. An elderly woman of the same species as the captain sat on a stool, watching over the merchandise. He made a beeline for the plant.

"How much?"

The senior woman laughed, the same sort of hearty laugh that Kapp'n gave. No doubt about it, these two were related.

"We don't accept bells here, lad. Only medals. Ye can talk to me daughter-in-larrr over there an' she'll explain everything to ye." She pointed to the desk on the other side of the room where a younger-looking turtle stood, smiling and swaying her head a bit to the music. "By the way, that strappin' young Kapp'n be me son. That wee seahorse over there be me granddaughter. We be delighted to have ye here on our little island." _Everyone is so friendly here! _He saw Isabelle plop into a chair, not bothering to greet anyone. _Well, almost. _He rolled his eyes. His secretary had become a lot less friendly lately, like a flower that had bloomed and then just as quickly wilted. There was no use trying to get her to enjoy the outdoors with him, so he let her be. He would worry about the medals later. For now, he wanted to explore. He left the hut, and his secretary, for the sunlight outside.

The whole atmosphere of the lobby was nice. Had she been anyone else, Isabelle supposed that she would be happy to be here. Alas, she was herself, which meant that she was miserable. The mayor had hardly said a word to her since her little outburst, and she tried not to blame him. _It's your fault. Yes. . .yes, I know. You don't have to remind me._

"What's wrong, lass?" The kappa behind the help desk asked. "Ye look like a piece of worn driftwood carried ashore by one mean storm."

"That's one way of putting it." The kappa woman looked as though she were waiting for Isabelle to continue.

"It's nothing for you to worry about. I'm fine."

"The hair on me head is fine, darlin'," the souvenir woman said, cutting in, "_ye, _on th' other hand, are most certainly _not _fine. Now, I been on this Earth fer. . .fer. . .huh, well, I lost track o' how long, which should say somethin' about how long it's been!" the help desk woman chuckled at who Isabelle was presuming to be her relative. "Holdin' it in won't solve anythin', but I won't pry. A pirate's chest is her own, after all." The help desk woman nodded in agreement. Isabelle let out a sigh. She knew that it wasn't orthodox to burden new acquaintances with one's troubles, but she had a feeling that, should she keep quiet for much longer, she would self-destruct.

"Men are oblivious, aren't they?" The two women guffawed at her statement. _Wow. Do these people find _everything _funny, or is their behavior out of their control and in the hands of some being who can't seem to handle them carefully enough? It must be awful to be them._

"He doesn't even care about me." The two women quieted down, realizing the seriousness of the mood.

"I mean, I don't know if bosses are _supposed _to care about the feelings of their workers, but I had just assumed. . ." Her throat began to feel dry. "Well, it just seemed to be such an improvement at first, you know? But now, he hardly ever even gives me something to do. Hardly ever asks me for help. What's more, he dragged me away from my desk against my will! Who _does _that?! Aren't bosses supposed to want _more _productivity, not less? It's just. . .just. . ."

"Confusin'?"

"Yes!"

Her voice rang through the room, echoing off the walls. It was a wonder that the mayor outside didn't hear it.

"I'm confused. I've always been needed. I've always been useful. Now I'm not. There's no reason for me to even exist." She could hear the words spilling out, but she couldn't stop them. It was as if her mouth had taken a life of its own and was now doing as it pleased. Either that, or the cruel being that was handling the kappas was messing her up as well. She looked over at the women, who were silent. "I'm sorry. This is a bit much, isn't it?" The old woman was the first to speak.

"That's true. Ye don't even know our names and yer confidin' in us. That's a bit different."

"But that's okay. Different is good. If that's how ye steer yer ship, then that's how we'll take ye." The other woman said, adding to the older woman's words. "Still. Wouldn't it be nice t' know each other, anyway? Every pirate needs a crew, and we'll be yers." The old woman nodded in agreement.

"Ye can just call me Grams." The old woman said.

"And ye can call me Leilani. And who might ye be?"

"Isabelle. It's Isabelle."

"Is-a-bell, hmm? A pleasure to make yer acquaintance." Grams said. She moved her arm up and down in a gesture that was akin to a handshake (air-shake?) and Leilani did the same. Isabelle mirrored their movement, not bothering to care about how silly it must've looked. Grams and Leilani were easy to talk to, the kind who probably struck up conversations with strangers on a regular basis without a second thought. She wished that she could be that at-ease.

"Now, Isabelle," Leilani said, "Where on Earth did ye get the notion that ye had to be _workin' _to be needed?"

"And t' have a reason fer existin'?" Grams added.

"I really don't know. It's silly. I'm silly."

"It's not silly. Silly is me granddaughter over thar." Grams pointed at a small kappa girl surrounded by toys and money. She waved, then went back to playing. "Sounds more sad to me."

"I second that." Leilani said, nodding solemnly. "Yer work shouldn't define who ye arrrr. Take me husband, fer instance."

"But. . .even his name. . ."

"Okay, maybe not the best example, but it'll do. Did ye know that he once drove a cab?" This news was a bit of a surprise to Isabelle. She couldn't imagine the pirate-talking kappa as anything but a boat captain!

"It's true, lass. Once drove a bus to an' from a big city, too." Grams chimed in.

"He went out an' saw new sights, tried new ways of takin' people from one place to another. Told 'em stories of his sailin' days an' about his love of the waves. Even though he always considered himself a sea captain, he didn't have to be with the sea to be one."

"Just like you don't have to be workin' all the time to be a helper." Grams finished their dual monologue, letting the music be the only noise.

"What if you're wrong?" Isabelle swallowed the dryness threatening to clog up her esophagus.

"And what if I'm right?"

". . ."

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Gah! Jaws!" Lee screamed as a shark came flying at his face, hooked ever-so-securely to the end of his fishing line. He caught it with one hand just as it was about to hit him. _How in the world did this line not break?! _He stuffed the shark into his pockets (an act he had never in his wildest dreams imagined he'd be capable of, much less doing) and slipped on his rental wet suit. The water was warm and refreshing as he stepped in. he could feel seaweed brushing his hands and fish nibbling at his toes as he swam. He decided that he wanted to swim around the small island to take it in fully, wanting to savor every last drop of its beauty. Once he reached the back of the small hut, he was greeted by Kapp'n, who was in his boat enjoying what looked like a shrimp and cucumber sandwich. _Turtles eat fish?_

"Hi, Kapp'n."

"Gar? Oh!" The captain waved down at Lee with his free hand, still holding his sandwich with his other hand. He swallowed a mouthful of bread and unusual sandwich ingredients before speaking. "Enjoyin' yerself, yar?"

"Yar! Er, yes! This place really is a paradise."

"Good, good." He nodded. "And what about yer little dog friend? Th' feisty one."

"Isabelle? Ugh. She hasn't even come outside. She's been inside for hours! What's so great about a hut that it can keep her from making the most of this vacation? Oh, uh, n-no offense."

"None taken, lad. I didn't build it." He shrugged dismissively. "However, don'cha think she may have a _reason _fer stayin' inside all day?"

"What?" His question had puzzled Lee. "What possible reason could she have?"

"Well, I haven't known her fer very long at all, but she strikes me as the serious type. Why would a little goldfish like her leave her bowl fer a big ocean meant for exotic sea life?"

"About that. . .she didn't exactly _choose _to come. I sort of. . .maybe dragged her along against her will. She tried to tell me not to bring her along."

Kapp'n raised an eyebrow.

"_What? _She needed to get out of her comfort zone! I just gave her a little push, that's all!"

"Right. . .right. I see."

"Good. I'm glad you agree."

"Oh, I didn't say I agreed with ye, lad. But no matter. Say, would ye like a bite o' me sandwich? It's good." Kapp'n reached his hand out of the boat, offering the sandwich to Lee.

"No, thank you. I don't like cucumbers."

"You sure? You'd like it if ye tried it."

"No. I'm fine. Not hung—_gah!_" With impressive force, the sandwich was shoved into Lee's mouth. He sputtered and coughed, the bits and pieces falling out into the water.

"W-why did you _do _that?!"

"Just givin' ye a 'little push.' That's all." The captain smirked, watching with satisfaction as realization dawned on Lee's face. "Now, if I'd've just let ye be, ye might have taken me up on that offer willingly, wouldn't ye?" He reached into the boat for a loaf of bread and began constructing a new sandwich for himself. He worked quickly. Before Lee knew it, Kapp'n had made a fresh snack and was starting on another. "See, a shrimp and cucumber sandwich is delicious, but if ye _make _someone eat it, even someone who's partial to it, they'll grow to hate it. Maybe even resent ye as well." He finished making the second sandwich and handed it to Lee. "Do ye catch me drift, lad?" Lee took the fresh sandwich with both hands and stared at it before taking a bite. It really _was_ delicious. He nodded slowly. He understood.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"Isabelle."

Isabelle looked up to see her mayor in the arch where a door might have gone. He had a serious, sort of pained expression on his face. He walked over to her slowly and sat down, not saying much at first.

"Is something bothering you, mayor?"

"I should be asking you the same question." Her eyes widened in surprise. He continued. "I should've been asking that question a lot sooner, too. You were clearly upset, and what did I do? Forced you to eat a sandwich you didn't even want."

"What?"

"Er, never mind. I'll explain later. My point is. . .I'm sorry. I'm sorry for making you come here when you obviously didn't want to. I thought I was doing a good thing, really I did! I just wanted you to be happy, Isabelle. You do so much for me and I wanted to repay you with this. I thought that if you got out and enjoyed yourself, you'd stop worrying about working so much."

"You can tell that I worry?"

"Well, yeah. You're my friend. Heck, my _best _friend. Aren't I yours?"

". . .well. . .I mean. . .that is. . .uh. . ." _How do I tell him? _She tried to think back as far as she could for any sort of passing thought, but to no avail. She had never, not even for a second, thought of her boss as anything but that. A boss. Not a friend, and certainly not a "best" friend. She had come to think of him as a very _good _boss, perhaps even her favorite, but never as anything more.

"It's okay. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

She breathed a sigh of relief. _Are you being polite, or is it just that you don't want to hear my answer? _

"Well, regardless, would you like to go on a tour with me? You don't have to if you don't want to. It's your choice."

She didn't want to mope anymore. As much as she enjoyed the company of the lady kappas, she knew that she couldn't stay like this. "Yes. I'll let you pick." He smiled, happy that she was being so agreeable. As he went to the help desk to pick, Isabelle caught a glimpse of Grams nodding to Leilani, who nodded more subtly. Lee didn't seem to notice.

"May I recommend this tour here?" She pointed to a line of words on a list that Isabelle was too far away to distinguish.

"Ooh, that one looks fun! We'll do that one!" Leilani looked pleased that Lee had taken her advice.

"Take a seat over thar. A boat will be arrivin' shortly to take ye to the Easy Hammer Tour."

0-0-0

"Hey there, whippersnappers!"

Isabelle couldn't believe her eyes. The man spouting instructions in front of her was none other than her old boss. _So, this is where you crawled off to, you old turtle? _A familiar, not-so-pleasant emotion was boiling up inside her. She clenched her teeth and balled up her fists, keeping the words that she wanted to spew at him at bay. _How could you just _leave _me?! How could you not even come see me when you came to tell Mayor Lee about the island?! How. . .how could you. . ._

"Ready. . .set. . .GO!" With that, the small machine that had been at Tortimer's feet shot off, rumbling and bouncing and spouting little bursts of exhaust. Its face resembled Tortimer's old persona, Cornimer, whom Tortimer had told her about. _Used to dress up in that thing and ask for acorns. Ha! So much fun. The villagers loved it. So did I. Heh, I love a good prank. _

_Hmph. Is your idea of a "prank" also leaving your secretary, who has been loyal to you for many years, to fend for herself in the hands of a new mayor? Really funny, jerk. _She didn't have time to dwell on her thoughts, though, for the new mayor in question was already ahead of her and giving the small contraption quite a beating. It didn't take her long to catch up to both the mayor and the machine. She considered herself to be a pacifist, so she was reluctant to strike it at first; however, as the device turned a corner and its "face" came into her view, she couldn't help but see the face of her old boss. Unable to contain herself any longer, she brought her hammer down for a gratifying _THWACK! _Before the civilized part of her brain could take hold of her once more, she let out a thundering battle cry that, had the innocent toy been sentient, would have sent fear down its spine like a bolt of lightening.

"Go, Isabelle, go!"

She heard her mayor cheering for her as she ran after the smoking gadget, her hammer held high above her head, her feet never faltering or slowing. She beat it with a vengeance, the anger and resentment of many years—feelings that she hadn't even known were there—were unleashed and given a chance to escape via the rubber mallet in her hands. _This is for the vacations you never gave me! THWACK! This is for never saying "thank you" for all that I did for you! THWACK! This is for abandoning me! THWACK! This is for not remembering my name for the first weeks of my employment! Thwack! Thwack! THWACK! _For each and every way that her boss had short-changed her, the toy received a hit, and then a few more for good measure. Lee was unable to catch up with her for most of the tour. When the toy malfunctioned and flipped over onto its back, Lee stood back as Isabelle battered it mercilessly, not wanting to get hit himself. It righted itself in no time, but Isabelle would not be stopped. For the remaining amount of time, Lee just let her have at it. This was something that she needed to do, and he didn't have any desire to interrupt. At last, before she could destroy the object completely, a whistle sounded, putting an end to her well-deserved rampage. He saw her breathing hard, her shoulders sagging in fatigue. There was a tired grin on her face and a gleam in her eyes. Whatever negativity she had had against the little machine was gone now. It had been drained from her system, and what remained was a mystery to him.

_Thank you, Tortimer. _She looked over at her new boss, who was clapping for her. _Thank you for this. Thank you for leaving. For never coming back. Thank you that I now know what it feels like to be loved and appreciated. _She walked slowly towards him to receive her prize. She barely heard him, but she caught something along the lines of _Gold Tortimer Award._

"You'll also get a few bonus metals depending on how hard you worked. Lee gets one metal—" Lee struck a pose, clearly proud of himself, "and Isabelle gets three!"

"Wahoo! Yeah! Alright!" She jumped up and down, pumping her fist in the air. "Wait, is. . .is that good?"

"Good? That's spectacular! Why, I haven't seen someone with your tenacity play this game since I've been here!" He applauded her, and she couldn't help but feel a warm sensation of pride welling up within her. "Then again, I should expect nothing less from the best secretary I ever had. Well, done, Isabelle. Well done indeed." _W. . .what did you say? _She looked into his eyes, trying to find the slightest hint of sarcasm. There was none. He was being completely and truthfully sincere. "And I'm sorry I never told you that before." He became quiet with that last statement, his usual pride and arrogance nowhere to be seen or heard. He sounded truly humble. _Who are you, and what have you done with Tortimer?_ Despite this thought, Isabelle felt as if two large weights that had been tied to her for so long had lost their hold and she was floating off into a bright, clear blue sky. _He means it. He really means it!_

"Thank you, Mr. Tortimer." She could see relief wash over him. Had the possibility that she would reject his apology really meant that much to him? _Perhaps this island has changed him for the better. I never thought I would see the day! _She heard a boat in the distance. It was time to go back to the main island. Her new mayor, who had had the courtesy to walk away a short distance once he realized that whatever the old mayor had to say was none of his business, was the first to head for their escort. The mayor placed a hand on his shoulder and whispered out of earshot.

"Take care of her, alright? Acknowledge and recognize her the way I never did. Let her know that her life is more than her work. Will you do that for me?" Lee nodded. He would. "Good boy. Thank you, youngster." With that, Lee ran for the boat, eager to start the next tour. As Isabelle followed, she stopped and turned back to her former employer.

"Thank you, Tortimer."

"For what?"

"For everything I have now. And. . .I forgive you. Really. From every bit of my heart." And she did. And he was grateful. She followed Mayor Lee to the boat that would take them back to the island paradise, where she would finally leave the hut for the sun and sand outside.


	10. Chapter 10

"They've been gone for hours now, sir. It's getting late. Should I—"

"Wait just a little longer. Make sure nobody sees you. That is the most crucial part, got it?"

"Got it, sir."

There was a pause.

"Sir. . .do I really have to do this? I live here too, you know, and this is gonna affect me as well."

"You should've thought about that before you decided to owe my good friend Xavier a favor."

"How did you get him to help, anyway? I thought he rejected your offer."

A chuckle sounded on one end of the line.

"He may have rejected my offer, but he came around to helping me. If there's anything that business has taught me, it's this—everyone has a weakness. I found Xavier's, and, thanks to you, I found _his_. He would have done well to keep his eye on you. It will be his downfall. I applaud your ability to play dumb."

"Thank. . .you?" _I don't see what you have against the mayor. He seems nice enough._

"Now, once it's clear that you have an opening, work quickly. If you get caught, it should go without saying that you won't reveal my involvement. Understand?"

"Yes, sir. But, sir, I could always wait and observe some more. Find a different, better weakness."

"You've been observing long enough. It's time to act." He seemed to know that his reluctant helper was trying to stall.

"Yes, sir. I understand, sir."

"Good."

_Click. _

0-0-0-0-0-0-0

"How did the line not break?!" Isabelle exclaimed as she caught yet another whale shark. She hadn't fished in years, but had picked up the activity with ease, quickly surpassing Lee. She felt that it was only fair, as he had been the victor in their bug-catching competition. Time seemed to move faster on the island, for it was already night time. This was fine with the both of them, as the stars above were a beautiful decoration in the night sky, wrapping the island in their soft, gentle glow. She felt as though she never wanted to leave this place, but she knew that it had to end; however, when walked inside the hut to empty their pockets, they saw that the kappas, all three of them, were asleep. _Just how late _is _it? _There were no clocks on the island, so conventional methods of telling time were unavailable.

"They look exhausted. Were they waiting for us to leave?"

"I hope not. I'd rather not have that on my conscience." _You are a horrible person. __**Too late. **_

One of them stirred. The little girl.

"Is it time to go home yet? Pwease tell me it is!" She began to cry.

"I guess we'd better leave." Lee remarked.

"Agreed. We'd better go wake Kapp'n."

Once they reached the boat, they saw that the captain was practically out cold. Isabelle shook his shoulder lightly to no avail.

"KAPP'N!" Lee was the next to make an attempt.

"Gar?! Huh who—wha—arr, ye woke me from me night sailin'! I was just about to vanquish the mighty kraken what broke me boat! How'm I supposed to take me family home without me boat?!"

"Your boat is fine, though." Isabelle pointed out. Kapp'n looked down to see that, no, he was not in the waters of Norway without a vessel, but rather in his own ocean, his boat sturdy and in one-piece as ever.

"Gar har har! Oh, fergive me, lass. Ol' Kapp'n's dreams be as vivid as the sky above us. Happens when I'm runnin' on empty. Been waitin' fer you two so I can go—" He yawned widely, "home." His eyes were drooping, barely able to stay open. A ride home would be dangerous enough in his current state, but going home, coming back, ferrying Isabelle and Lee to Vona, then going home again would be downright insane.

"Go home, Kapp'n. Lee and I can stay here for the night." Lee looked at her questioningly, not because he didn't approve of her idea, but rather because _she _had been the one to suggest it. She grinned at him. "What? I'm serious! This place is beautiful. I could stand another few hours here."

"You've got a point." Lee nodded, happy that his best friend was loosening up. He turned to the captain. "Kapp'n, we'll stay here for the night. You can just come back for us in the morning."

"Do ye have a touch o' the sea madness? There be no blankets! No pillows! Not even a bed fer ye!" Kapp'n himself wouldn't be bothered by such a lack of luxuries, but for their sakes, he made the fact clear. "Ye could come to me abode. Just fer the night. Ye'd have blankets and stew. Well, leftover stew, but stew!"

"Can your boat even hold six people?" Lee asked.

"Arr. . .ye have a point, lad. I could come back fer ye."

"Not a chance!" Isabelle exclaimed with conviction. "You go home and sleep. Don't you _dare _come back here until you're all rested up, understand?" Despite her seriousness, Lee had to keep himself from cracking a smile. A small dog with her fists balled up, standing on her tip-toes, staring down a large turtle with a look of determined concern was a sight that he never thought he would have the immense joy of seeing. Kapp'n must've felt the same way, for he let out a huge belly-laugh and conceded.

"Alright, alright, lass. Can't argue with that. Pleasant dreams to the both of ye."

And in the next few minutes, the island was empty, save for Isabelle, Lee, and the many bugs and fish that they had stuffed into a single basket. Lee was currently pushing the chairs together to make a makeshift bed. He offered to let Isabelle have it, bust she declined.

"I think I'll sleep under the stars."

"Really? No kidding?"

"Well, yeah. It can be like camping!" She closed her eyes, the images of a long-forgotten memory surfacing once more. "I remember going camping with my family when I was younger. Heh. Everyone would always get so worked up over it. We'r roast marshmallows over the fire and pop our own popcorn." A silent laughed escaped her mouth. "We'd always burn the popcorn a little bit, but you know what? Somehow, that just made it extra delicious. Imagine that. Maybe it wasn't the popcorn itself. Maybe it was just being there with my family that made it taste so good." She opened her eyes and noticed that Lee was looking at her with a questioning expression. "I-I'm sorry! That was. . .s-sorry. You didn't ask for something like that."

"No, it's fine." His expression said that he was pleased. "You've never shared something personal with me before. That's something friends do." Isabelle's jaw dropped, but she quickly regained her composure. "Don't look so surprised! I have a very magnetic personality." He morphed his features into the ugliest face he could possibly make and curled his fingers to look like something resembling claws. He fake laughed in a fashion that reminded Isabelle of a hideous creature that tended to dwell beneath bridges and on something called a "forum." "But in all seriousness," He regained his normal composure, lowering his hands back to his sides. "I'm glad you did share it with me. I hope you'll come to think of me as a friend someday. I'd love to hear more about these camping trips." He hopped over the side of one of the chairs and into his makeshift bed. "Goodnight, Isabelle. See you tomorrow. Then again, for all we know, it _is _tomorrow!" He folded his arms like a pillow and closed his eyes.

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_I hope you'll come to think of me as a friend someday. _What an odd thought. The last person she had truly considered a friend had been her brother, and they barely spoke these days. She understood, though. He had his job at the HHA, and she had her job as a secretary. They both worked through the holidays, so, needless to say, they had drifted apart over the years. If she were completely honest with herself, she missed those days of their youth. The days of mud and slightly burnt popcorn. Even the small rivalries that would spring up now and then.

_Isabelle did it!_

_Did not!_

_Did too!_

_Yeah, I did. So what?_

She sighed.

_Why are you crying?_

_It's nothing, really._

_Like heck it is! Who is he and what's his name?! I'll teach him a thing or two about messing with my sister's heart._

She smiled a tiny smile and laughed sadly.

_I got accepted, Isabelle! They want me to work at the showcase!_

_That's amazing! I wish I could do something cool like that._

_You will, sis. You'll be something great. Remember what you used to ramble on and on about when we were younger?_

_I wanted to be mayor, I think._

_Go for your dreams, Izzy. You'll be the best darn mayor your future town has ever seen._

That last memory was enough to make a few tears fall, if only for a few seconds. She sat down on the sand and looked up at the sky. _He believed in me. He believed in me and I just let us fade away. Some sister. . .some friend I was. _She wondered if he ever thought of her, wondered if he missed his best sister friend. _My responsibility is to Mayor Lee now. No use in looking back at what was. _She lay on her side, looking at a seashell that neither of them had bothered to pick up. _And no use thinking about what could be. _

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Morning came all-too-quickly. Lee sat up and popped his back, which was unpleasantly stiff.

"Mornin', lad!"

The old turtle's greeting nearly scared Lee out of his skin. He looked around to see that the entire staff of islanders were present and accounted for. _Just how early do they come here? Wait. . .how early _is _it? _For all he knew, he could've been sleeping for years. He didn't feel like he had slept at all, though. Perhaps he hadn't. Perhaps he really had been the captain of a space ship on a five-year mission to explore the regions of space and boldly go where no man or animal had gone before. Or perhaps his head was still too fuzzy to think straightly.

"Uh. . .morning. Is the captain here, too?"

"'Course! How do ye think we got here?"

"Right, right." His brain was working slowly. He shook his head a few times and slapped his face. He wanted to be full of energy as soon as he could, since he would be getting back to his mayoral duties soon enough. He walked slowly, groggily, to the outside. The unforgiving brightness of the sun practically punched him in his eye sockets, making him squint. Well, that confirmed one thing—he had, indeed, slept late. By the looks of it, it was some time around noon. He looked around the beach, but his friend was nowhere to be found.

"Isabelle?"

He heard the sound of splashing and looked to see a small, yellow dog paddling her way to meet him.

"Oh, good afternoon, Mayor!" She returned her diving suit to the dancing gyroid, then shook herself, spraying little droplets of water in every direction. _Huh. Didn't think that was still a thing. Eh, guess she _is _still an animal, highly intelligent or not. _

"Afternoon. Breakfast?" By the looks of it, her pockets were full of sea creatures. In Nate's words, "a barbeque waiting to happen."

"No. I just had to clear my head is all. The water is incredibly therapeutic, you see. Diving is even better."

"Oh! So I can't cook 'em?"

"Very funny."

"I'm serious. I'm hungry." His stomach wouldn't growl for him, so he emulated the sound with his mouth. Isabelle shook a durian tree, tossing one at him.

"Eat up."

"Eeew! But these smell!"

"And stuff that's been swimming in the ocean doesn't?"

"Touche."

"Anyway, these are my pets. I was. . .sort of hoping you'd let me keep them in the office."

He spoke through a mouthful of fruit. "Sure! Go right ahead." _you really _have _loosened up, wanting pets and all. I'm glad. Just don't go back to being all stiff when we get back, please. I'd be too tempted to put your pets on a plate if you don't keep an eye on them. _

"If you're ready to go, lets put your new friends into the basket and get out of here."

She beamed at him. Part of her had known that he would be okay with her bringing sea creatures into the office, but it was still a pleasant pick-me-up when he had said yes. Once inside the hut, Lee told the turtle behind the help desk that they would be leaving. She seemed surprised that they were leaving already, despite the fact that they had been there for far too long.

"Ready, Isabelle?"

"Yeah. . ." He turned to see that her face was distressed.

"What's wrong?"

"There's no more room for them." He looked into the basket to see that it was true. Their hours of fishing and bug catching had filled the basket to its capacity.

"Well, all we have to do is—" He took out one of the beetles and let it go.

"Mayor!"

"Hand me one of your pets."

"B-but. . .are you sure? Some of those, well, _all _of those look really valuable."

"Yeah, but it's okay. There will always be more of them." he moved his fingers in a "give me" gesture, and she obliged, handing his a sea slug. The sight of the beetles flying away was like watching money burn, but he knew that it was necessary. _You're worth more than bugs. _He paused, realizing that, taken out of context, that thought would be just a bit insulting. He shrugged. He knew what he meant and no one had heard it. Once all pets were stored and accounted for, they went back outside. Kapp'n and his boat were waiting for them. He greeted them happily and helped Lee into the boat, preventing a repeat of the previous day. Once on the water, he kept himself from singing, learning, once again, from yesterday. Neither of them seemed particularly disappointed. They wouldn't have had long to be disappointed, anyway, for the sight that awaited them would leave no room for other thoughts.

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"W. . .what. . ." Isabelle tried to form the question that she wanted to shout, but the words died before they could escape. Lee, too, was unable to say anything. Kapp'n, had he been able to see it from the dock, would have perhaps written a new song—a song of lamenting. What assaulted the eyes of the secretary and her mayor was the complete devastation of Vona's trees. For as far as their eyes could see, each and every single tree had been chopped down, nothing but stumps remaining. Isabelle had been fond of the trees, but the residents had utterly adored them. They were a source of income. A hiding spot in their games of hide-and-seek. Just something _beautiful _to look at everyday, especially in the spring when the leaves would turn a lovely shade of pink. Now, with no trees left in the entire town, that spectacle would not be happening. Isabelle's knees gave way under her and fell to the ground, carrying Isabelle with them. The cold, biting air seemed to take on new life without the trees to block the currents and it pierced both of them to the soul. Neither wanted to break the silence, and so it hung in the air like a thick sheet ready to smother them. That is, until it was ripped apart by a familiar voice.

"Mayor, how could you?!"

Nate.

"What? What are you—"

"Don't play dumb with me, Mayor. You know what you did!" The normally lazy bear was full of energy, his face red with outrage, his paws clenched in anger. He was unable to keep this state for very long before it metamorphosed into dispair. He hung his head low, dropping his paws to his side and letting them hang limply. Lee wasn't sure, but he thought he could see little trickles on his face.

"Nate, what's—"

"I was gonna pick fruit for a fruit salad today, too. Sure, it wasn't gonna be much of a salad, what with only one fruit type and all, but it was still gonna be—"

"Nate!"

Nate looked up slowly, surprised at the volume in Lee's voice.

"What's going on? I don't understand! Wh-what happened here?"

"You mean you. . .but. . ." Nate's confusion was as clear as Lee's. "Th-the axe, though! The axe!"

"The axe?"

"Duh! _Your _axe, Mayor! The one Annabelle found in your house this morning!"

"What?!" Lee could barely keep his composure. _He thinks I did this. . .he thinks _I _did this! I don't even _own _an axe! _"I don't even _own _an axe, Nate!" The bear didn't respond at first. When he did, Lee wished that he hadn't. His voice dropped to a near whisper and his eyes held a mixture of disappointment, anger, and anguish.

"You know, Mayor, the least you could do is tell the truth after what you did. I thought we were friends." He walked away, casting a look back at Lee that nearly broke his heart. "I guess I was wrong. A friend wouldn't do something like this." Lee couldn't think of a reply before Nate was out of his sight. The distraught mayor turned back to his secretary, who was looking just as confused and upset, if not more.

"How could he think that I did it? I wasn't even here!"

"He doesn't know that. None of them do."

"N-none of. . .no, surely everyone else doesn't—"

"They most likely do." She hung her head in a similar fashion to Nate, feeling as if a weight had suddenly fallen onto her plump shoulders. Her words were confirmed a few seconds later.

"Impeach! We must impeach him!" A girl's voice rang out, echoing in every direction, surrounding them like an invisible army.

"Come on." Lee's voice was nearly monotone as he spoke to his friend and held out a hand to help her up. She obeyed and the two of them walked with heavy steps toward the sound of the voice, whosever it was.


End file.
